NAACP says RIPTA boss was singled out

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- The head of the Providence chapter of the NAACP says the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority should reinstate its chief executive, who the civil rights group says is being singled out for unfair treatment.

The Providence Journal reports that James Vincent, president of the Providence chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said Charles Odimgbe is "under siege."

Odimgbe was placed on paid administrative leave Aug. 29.

The authority is the focus of a criminal investigation after Odimgbe discovered a security camera covered in a room where money from cash bus fares is handled.

Through his lawyer, Odimgbe said he supports the investigation into security breaches and believes he will be reinstated.

RIPTA's spokeswoman says the evaluation is focusing on the agency and is not about one person.